South Coast surfer saved from shark by couple who crashed plane into ocean

A NSW surfer was saved from a shark by a couple who swooped down in their light aircraft to warn him, before they crashlanded into the ocean nearby. See the incredible footage here.

A brave couple flying a light aircraft who tried to save an unsuspecting surfer from a giant shark stalking him at a South Coast beach - had to be rescued themselves after crashing into the ocean.

Bill Ballard was surfing at Wallagoot Beach when a gyrocopter swooped down on him with its occupants screaming and pointing at a large shark lurking nearby.

Then suddenly they plunged into the sea.

The pilot and his female passenger were searching for whales and dolphins when they spotted Ballard paddle straight into the mouth of a feeding frenzy that included a school of salmon, a pod of dolphins and a large shark.

“I knew that they were circling above me but I was just thinking that they were getting good footage or looking at the dolphins,” Ballard said.

A couple in a low flying plane warned South Coast surfer Billy Ballard of a massive shark stalking the water near him. Picture: Billy Ballard

“It wasn’t until they were right on top of me and I looked up and they were hanging off the side screaming ‘shark, shark’.”

In an attempt to scare off the predator and warn the surfer, the couple decided to fly so low they crashed into shallow waters after failing to regain altitude.

“That’s when I turned and started to paddle in, luckily there was a set and I got the first wave in,” he continued.

“I looked at the side after hearing the engine and they flew straight to the beach and hit the water.”

After saving Ballard’s life, the relieved surfer repaid the favour by helping them out of the water.

“I ran over to help but their only worry was about the shark, not the crash they were just in,” he said.

The plane flew so low it ended up crashing in the water. Picture: Billy Ballard

Emergency services were called but by some miracle, not a single person was injured and their help wasn’t required.

Now looking back on the situation, Ballard believed the pod dolphins were actually trying to warn him about the nearby predator.

“They were acting super weird, I thought maybe they were just trying to catch fish that were underneath me but I couldn’t see any fish (at the time),” he said.

“They were just doing this weird herding thing, trying to push me into the beach and getting so close that they were literally nudging my foot.”

Heaven and earth combined to keep Ballard alive, and thanks to the efforts of the dolphins and the flying couple he lived to see another day.

Wallagoot Beach within Bournda National Park on the NSW South Coast. Picture: Billy Ballard

But Ballard’s mother witnessed the grim reality of what could’ve happened to her son if he wasn’t warned.

“My mum went down to the beach the other day and found a dead dolphin with a huge chunk out of it,” he said.

“If that was the shark it must be pretty big.”

Originally published as South Coast surfer saved from shark by couple who crashed plane into ocean